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Abstract

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the major leading causes of cancer‑associated mortality worldwide. Serum biomarkers have a vital role in diagnosis and prognosis of GC, and interleukin (IL)‑16 may serve as a useful biomarker with prognostic value for human cancers. The current study aimed to evaluate the expression level of serum IL‑16 in patients with GC, and evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic value of IL‑16. ELISA was performed determine the serum IL‑16 levels in patients with GC and healthy controls. Receiver operator curve analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic potential value of serum IL‑16 in GC diagnosis. Migration and invasion assays were performed using cells with IL‑16 small interfering RNA (siRNA) knockdown. The results demonstrated that serum IL‑16 levels were significantly higher in GC samples than in healthy controls, and increased serum IL‑16 levels were significantly associated with tumor recurrence and poor prognosis. Knockdown of IL‑16 significantly suppressed the migration and invasion of GC cells. In conclusion, the current results indicate that serum IL‑16 levels may have diagnostic and prognostic value for patient with GC.